Nikolaj Ehlers facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nikolaj Ehlers
Ehlers in 2014
Born	(1996-02-14) 14 February 1996 (age 29) Aalborg, Denmark
Height	6 ft 0 in (183 cm)
Weight	172 lb (78 kg; 12 st 4 lb)
Position	Right wing
Shoots	Left
NHL team Former teams	Winnipeg Jets EHC Biel
National team	Denmark
NHL Draft	9th overall, 2014 Winnipeg Jets
Playing career	2013–present

Nikolaj Ehlers (born February 14, 1996) is a professional ice hockey player from Denmark. He plays as a forward for the Winnipeg Jets in the National Hockey League (NHL). Before joining the NHL, Ehlers played hockey in Switzerland. His father, Heinz, was a coach there. In 2013, Nikolaj moved to North America. He played for the Halifax Mooseheads in the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL).

After one year with Halifax, the Jets picked him ninth overall in the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. He played one more season in junior hockey. Then, in 2015, he joined the NHL. Nikolaj Ehlers has also played for Denmark in international games. He has played for both junior and senior teams. This includes three World Championships.

Playing Career

Early Years in Switzerland

Nikolaj Ehlers started playing youth hockey in Switzerland. He was part of the EHC Biel team. In 2009, he played in the Quebec International Pee-Wee Hockey Tournament. He was only 16 when he played his first game in the National League A (NLA). This is Switzerland's top hockey league. He was the youngest player in the league at that time.

During the 2012–13 season, the NHL had a lockout. This meant some NHL players played in other leagues. Ehlers got to play with famous NHL stars like Patrick Kane and Tyler Seguin. They were his teammates in Biel. Ehlers later said that these players encouraged him to come to Canada. They told him to play for junior teams there.

Junior Hockey in North America

Ehlers' great play in Denmark caught attention in North America. In 2013, the Halifax Mooseheads picked him sixth overall. This was in the Canadian Hockey League Import Draft. Before joining the Mooseheads, Ehlers talked to other Danish players. They helped him get ready for the big change.

Ehlers quickly made a big impact in the CHL. He led all new players with 8 goals and 9 assists in his first 16 games. Even though he missed some games for the 2014 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships, he still led rookies with 56 points. This was after 38 games. He was ranked 22nd among North American skaters for the 2014 NHL Entry Draft. He also played in the CHL/NHL Top Prospects Game.

Ehlers had an amazing first season. He scored 104 points in 63 games for the Mooseheads. He won the RDS Cup as Rookie of the Year. He also received the Michael Bossy Trophy as the QMJHL's Top Prospect. He was named to the QMJHL's Second All-Star Team.

Before the 2014 NHL Entry Draft, experts ranked Ehlers highly. The NHL Central Scouting Bureau ranked him 13th. Bob McKenzie ranked him 10th. Experts praised his skating, puck handling, and playmaking. NHL Director of Central Scouting Dan Marr said Ehlers was "a skilled forward who can work some magic." He added that Ehlers was "a clever playmaker and very unselfish." The Winnipeg Jets drafted Ehlers ninth overall in the first round.

After being drafted, the Jets wanted Ehlers to gain more weight and muscle. He weighed 163 pounds at the time. In September 2014, Ehlers signed a three-year contract with the Jets. He then played in the Young Stars Classic. He scored four points in two games there. Ehlers played six preseason games with the Jets. He scored one goal and two assists. Then, he returned to the Mooseheads for the 2014–15 QMJHL season.

Back with the Mooseheads, Ehlers was named an alternate captain. He quickly returned to his top form. He scored 32 points in 11 games in November. He even had five goals and eight assists in three games. This earned him the CHL Player of the Week award. In December, he again played for Denmark at the 2015 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships.

Ehlers continued his amazing play. He had a 30-game point streak. This broke a team record set by Jonathan Drouin. He finished his second season with 37 goals and 64 assists. This was 101 points in 51 games. He won the Paul Dumont Trophy as the QMJHL's "Personality of the Year." He was also named to the QMJHL's First All-Star Team.

In the 2015 playoffs, Ehlers helped the Mooseheads. He scored the winning goal in Game 7 of the first round. In the second round, he scored four goals and an assist in Game 1. He finished the playoffs with 31 points in 14 games.

Starting in the NHL

After his junior career, Ehlers worked hard to gain muscle. He joined the Jets' training camp 15 pounds heavier. At 19 years old, he was the youngest player on the Jets' team. He made his NHL debut on October 8, 2015. He played as a winger with Mark Scheifele and Mathieu Perreault. The Jets won that game 6–2.

In his first four NHL games, Ehlers scored three points. His first NHL goal was against the New York Rangers on October 13. He had some ups and downs in scoring. But on January 26, 2016, he scored his first NHL hat-trick. This was against the Arizona Coyotes. He became only the second teenager in Jets history to score three goals in one game. He finished his first NHL season with 15 goals and 23 assists for 38 points. He played well on a line with Scheifele and Blake Wheeler.

For the 2016–17 season, Ehlers played with Scheifele and rookie Patrik Laine. He started slowly but gained momentum. By November 10, he had 12 points. His line was scoring a lot of points. He finished November with 16 points in 14 games. He broke a 15-game goalless streak in December.

Ehlers kept improving throughout the season. He scored 31 points in 39 games. He was among the top players in the NHL for even-strength points. On April 1, he scored his 100th career NHL point. This was in his 151st NHL game. Even though the team missed the playoffs, Ehlers had a great season. He set new career highs with 25 goals and 39 assists for 64 points.

After his successful second season, Ehlers signed a seven-year contract with the Jets. It was worth $6.0 million per year. For the 2017–18 season, Ehlers was reunited with Scheifele and Wheeler. He scored his second career hat-trick against the Edmonton Oilers. This helped the Jets win 5–3. He continued to score points in the next two games. He led the team in scoring that week. He was named the NHL's First Star of the Week.

Ehlers kept scoring points. He had some scoring droughts but always bounced back. He played on different lines as the coach adjusted the team. He scored his career-high 29th goal on April 3. This helped the Jets reach 50 wins in a season. The Jets finished with a team record 114 points. They made it to the 2018 Stanley Cup playoffs. Ehlers was one of six players with over 40 points that season.

In the 2018 playoffs, Ehlers played his first postseason game. He helped the Jets get their first playoff win. He had two assists in the first two games. He missed Game 5 of the first round due to illness. But the Jets won the series. He returned for the second round against the Nashville Predators. He had six assists in the playoffs. The Jets made it to the Western Conference Finals. They played against the Vegas Golden Knights. Ehlers had one more assist before getting injured. The Jets were eliminated before he could return.

Recent Seasons

Before the 2018–19 season, Ehlers gained more muscle. He weighed 172 pounds. He started the season slowly. His first goal came on October 16. He then found his chemistry with teammate Laine. On November 30, Ehlers scored his third career hat-trick. This helped the Jets win 6–5 against the Chicago Blackhawks. He scored another hat-trick on December 21 against the San Jose Sharks.

On January 4, Ehlers suffered a lower body injury. This happened after a collision with Sidney Crosby. He had 15 goals and 12 assists at the time. He missed 20 games to recover. He scored a goal in his return game on February 22. The Jets made the playoffs for the second year in a row. Ehlers finished the season with 21 goals and 16 assists for 37 points. In the playoffs, the Jets lost to the St. Louis Blues. It was later revealed that Ehlers had a fractured leg.

To improve his game, Ehlers studied his past season. He wanted to score more for the 2019–20 season. His coach praised his hard work. He started the season strong. He tied his career-high with three assists in the first game. He also played his 300th NHL game that night. Ehlers continued to play well. He scored his 100th career NHL goal on November 19.

When the NHL paused play due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ehlers had 20 goals. He had reached 20 goals for the fourth straight season. He finished with 52 points. When the NHL resumed, Ehlers scored his first career playoff goal. This was in Game 2 against the Calgary Flames. However, the Jets were eliminated from the playoffs.

The 2020–21 season was shorter due to the pandemic. Ehlers started strong. He scored his first career overtime goal on January 19. He had a career-high four-game scoring streak. By February, he was tied for third in the NHL with 10 goals. He played his 400th NHL game on March 20. On April 14, he scored his 300th NHL point. The next day, he scored his 20th goal of the season. This marked five straight seasons with at least 20 goals. Ehlers finished with 21 goals and 25 assists for 46 points. He suffered an injury in late April. He missed the last nine games of the season. He also missed the first two playoff games. He returned in Game 3 and scored two goals. The Jets swept the Oilers in four games.

After the Jets were eliminated, Ehlers played for Team Denmark. He helped them qualify for the 2022 Winter Olympics. He scored five goals and four assists in three games. This was Denmark's first time qualifying for the Olympics. However, Ehlers could not play in the Olympics. The NHL did not allow its players to go due to COVID-19 issues.

In the 2022–23 season, Ehlers missed 36 games due to a sports hernia injury. On February 22, 2023, he played his 500th career game. He became the third player in Jets history to do so. He suffered another injury in April. He missed the last regular-season game. He played in Game 5 of the playoffs against the Vegas Golden Knights. But the Jets were eliminated that game.

International Play

Ehlers at the 2014 World Junior Division IA
Medal record
Ice hockey
Representing Denmark
World U18 Division I Championship
Gold	2013 Asiago
World Junior Division I Championship
Gold	2014 Sanok
World Junior A Challenge
Silver	2014 Kindersley

Nikolaj Ehlers has played for Denmark's national teams. He played for the Danish U18 national team in 2013. He led the team with 11 points in five games. He helped Denmark win a gold medal.

He also played for the Danish U20 national team. In 2014, he helped Denmark get a perfect 5–0 record. He also played in the 2014 World Junior A Challenge. He helped Denmark win a silver medal. He was named the Most Valuable Player of that tournament. Ehlers played in the 2015 World Junior Ice Hockey Championships. He helped Denmark reach the Quarter-Finals.

Ehlers made his debut for the Danish men's national team in 2016. This was at the 2016 IIHF World Championship. He scored four goals and two assists. Denmark finished in eighth place. He also played in the 2018 Winter Olympics Qualifiers.

He played in the 2017 IIHF World Championship. He had four assists. Denmark finished 12th. After the 2021 NHL playoffs, Ehlers helped Denmark qualify for the 2022 Winter Olympics. He scored five goals and four assists. He was officially added to the Olympic team. But he could not play because the NHL did not allow its players to go. In 2023, Ehlers played for Denmark at the 2023 IIHF World Championship.

Personal Life

Nikolaj Ehlers was born on February 14, 1996, in Aalborg, Denmark. His parents are Heinz and Tina Ehlers. His family moved around Europe because his father played professional hockey. By the time he was 18, Ehlers could speak five languages. These included English, French, Danish, Swiss, and German.

Ehlers went to kindergarten in Germany. Then his family lived in Denmark for five years. After his father stopped playing, he became a coach in Switzerland. So, the family moved to Switzerland. Growing up, Ehlers played both hockey and soccer. He played on a provincial team in Switzerland. But he eventually had to choose between the two sports.

Ehlers has an older brother, Sebastian, and a younger sister, Caroline. Sebastian also plays ice hockey. He played for the Odense Bulldogs. Ehlers' uncles and cousin have also played professional hockey. His uncle Søren was drafted by the New York Rangers. His cousin Alexander True plays for the Florida Panthers. Ehlers and True played against each other in the NHL for the first time in 2019–2020.

Career Statistics

Regular season and playoffs

International

Awards and Honours